By Krystel Rolle ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
Charging that the Progressive Liberal Party is a "neglectful bunch" that does not have the wherewithal to help the people of Elizabeth, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham yesterday predicted that the Free National Movement would win the by-election.
"[PLP leader] Perry Christie is screaming and hollering now," Ingraham said last night during the opening of the FNM's Trinidad Street headquarters.
"You think he's scared? Well he better be scared because on the 16th, we (the FNM) will put it on him. Papa will cut his behind on the 16th. Papa is going to get a brand new man. Papa [is] never scared," said Ingraham, referring to himself as Papa.
The FNM leader said the PLP has been neglecting the Elizabeth constituency since the area was known as Malcolm Street in the 1990s.
"It does not make sense from your point of view to go with them. They didn't deliver for you before," Ingraham said speaking to supporters.
He challenged voters to ask themselves several questions before they decide who they want to vote for.
"What can they (the PLP) do for you now? What did they do for you when they had power? If they didn't do anything for you when they had power, what can they do for you without power? If you vote for the PLP on election day, ask yourself, what is in this for me?" continued Ingraham.
The Elizabeth seat became available last month when former PLP MP Malcolm Adderley resigned from the House of Assembly. He also resigned from the party.
His resignation came at the halfway mark of the Ingraham administration's third, non-consecutive term in office.
"I've come tonight to ask you to give us (the FNM) the remaining two and a half years," Ingraham told supporters. "We are in the pick-up business and we'd like that two and a half years."
Turning his attention to the ongoing controversy regarding fraudulent voters, Ingraham said the party has put plans in place to ensure that people who are not entitled to vote, do not get away with it.
Ingraham announced that the register of the list of voters in the Elizabeth constituency would be published in The Nassau Guardian on Wednesday.
"We are publishing it for the purpose of making sure that the public of The Bahamas can know whose names appear there, and where they say they live. Citizens will be able to tell us and tell others, 'I know he don't live there'. So Wednesday, get The Guardian and you'll see the registered voters," he said.
He reiterated his appeal to people seeking to vote illegally against attempting to do so.
"Everybody who is on the registry is able to vote on election day. People who don't live in the constituency should not vote. People who weren't living here for three months, they should not vote either. But if they chose to vote, they can vote."
"Now the law says you should not thief, you should not kill, but people still do that. So when they do that and they are caught, there are consequences. So people who don't live in Elizabeth, we know they don't live here, we will challenge them on election day, or the PLP will challenge their vote or the parliamentary people will challenge the vote."
Ingraham said if people who are not entitled to vote still chose to do so they will face the repercussions.
"And if they bus you in from Englerston, from Bain and Grants Town, from Chippingham, don't bother with that because they (the people responsible for busing you in) [are not] going up there with you," he said referring to prison.
"There is no point of being a fool in this business. That's a very personal thing. No one [can] serve that for you. You have to serve that for yourself," he continued, referring to a prison sentence.
Meantime, FNM candidate Dr. Duane Sands announced last night that he has resigned from the board of the Central Bank and as president of the Medical Council.
He said his full attention has been turned to addressing the needs of the people of Elizabeth.
He said after spending the last seven years in the "wilderness" it's about time the people of Elizabeth get real representation.
If he is chosen to represent the constituency, Sands has committed to extending the hours of operation at the constituency's local clinic and library.
He said the library, which closes at 5 p.m., will remain open for some additional hours to allow school children longer periods to complete their work. He added that the library would be staffed by College of The Bahamas students, or teachers who will be charged with assisting the school children.
Additionally, he said the clinic would remain open so that single mothers could take their children for check-ups after working hours.
"I will respond to your needs," he promised.
"I will not let you down."
Ingraham appealed to voters to choose Sands.
"In Duane Sands you have a patriotic Bahamian. He is a full-blooded Bahamian, loyal to The Bahamas, he is only a Bahamian - not duel, single," Ingraham said, throwing a jab at the PLP, whose candidate Ryan Pinder has duel citizenship for The Bahamas and the United States.
February 09, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
